The Holiness of God

But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 

for it is written: 'Be holy for I am holy.' 

(1 Peter 1:15-16)

God calls all Christians to be holy. Why? Because He is holy. He calls us not to be like other Christians (to 'copy' their holiness), rather, He calls us to be like Himself. 

Holiness is an essential aspect of God's nature, it describes both the majesty of God and the purity and moral perfection of His nature. In understanding the nature of God's holiness we need to understand that God hates sin. As the prophet Habakkuk declared: Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong (Habakkuk 1:13).

Sometimes we try to justify some action that our conscience calls us to question. We often defend ourselves by saying, "Well, that's just the way I am," or even, "Well, I'm still growing in that area of my life." However, God does not accept these excuses. He hates sin with a perfect hatred. All wrongs, no matter what their size or description, are sin, and God hates sin. 

In understanding God's absolute hatred for sin, it makes me all the more thankful for what Christ has done for me. His perfect holiness has become mine; my sins are gone and I am as clean from all sin before God. 

It's this thankfulness that should drive us all to holiness. We need to make every effort...to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). We need to hate sin like God hates it - I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path (Psalm 119:104). God's standard of holiness is perfect; and this is what He holds us to. Thanks to Christ we can begin to attain this holiness already in this life. 

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

(Philippians 4:13)

Holiness is for you

There are times in your life as a Christian where it may feel as though you could never be holy. There are times you may be gripped by anger or despair, stubbornness or an immoral habit you many have. And you just can't get over it. It is times like these that you may feel as though holiness was just something you can not attain.

But, the good news is that holiness is for you. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). There is hope for you; we can walk in obedience before God and live a life of holiness.

Firstly we must understand what the bible means by holiness. It is not a series of specific prohibitions or a particular style of dress and mannerisms, or even an unattainable perfection. Holiness is to be morally blameless. It is to be separated from sin, and therefore, consecrated to God. The word signifies 'separation to God, and the conduct befitting those so separated'. To live a holy life is to live a life in conformity to the moral precepts of the Bible and in contrast to the sinful ways of the world.

...that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness... (Ephesians 4:22-24)

The reason then, that we as Christians may feel defeated in our struggle with sin is because our attitude towards sin is more self-centered than God-centered (our victory over sin, rather than obedience to God);  we misunderstand 'living by faith' to mean that holiness requires no effort on our part; and we do not take all sins seriously. (These three factors will be discussed in greater detail later in the book).

So then, there is hope for us; holiness is for you. It comes as a gift with faith, but it remains something we need to work with.

The Pursuit of Holiness

I've decided it is time I start reading another book. My choice this time is The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. 

God is holy; and we have been called to be holy. For it is written 'Be holy for I am holy' (1Peter 1:16). These two things - that God is holy and that we have been called to be holy - we can easily overlook. We can go through life without really understanding what it means that God, the one who we worship and call upon in prayer, is Holy. And if we fail to understand the extent of His holiness, how then can we be holy?

In reading this book it is my wish to gain a deeper understanding of the holiness of God and what this means for me. It is fair enough to know that one must be holy, but how one is to go about leading a holy life is entirely different. 

God is Living

I distinctly remember one of the times in my grade 6 class, where the teacher asked us to bring up prayer points: things that we could praise God for, thank Him for, and also our requests. It was always hardest to think of something to praise God for, but one point remains in my mind; namely, that God is a living God.

God is living: He is not made of wood or stone and He is not some being that has no relation to what goes on in this world. Rather, God is living; He is active, and He responds to us when we talk to Him.

Think of the story of Elijah up on Mt Carmel. While the people danced around the statue of Baal, crying out to him and even cutting themselves in hope that he might hear them, the prophet Elijah, after pouring much water on the altar prayed to God. And God immediately sent fire and consumed the sacrifice on the altar. God heard the prayer of Elijah. Baal remained deaf to the pleas of the people. (1Kings 18)

God is capable of hearing, seeing and understanding. The idols of men aren't.

It is a great comfort to know that the God to whom we pray is living. We are not praying to a deaf wall; rather, our prayers fall on open ears, upon a heart ready and willing to listen. Isn't that wonderful? We can put our trust in a God who understands us, a God who loves us.

There is no other god that is capable of doing such a thing. Whether it is the idols the foreign nations served in the time of the Old Testament, or the idols people make of money, work, drugs, sex, popularity, or sport today - they are all dead.

God alone is living!

God is merciful

The Lord is merciful and gracious, 

slow to anger and abounding in mercy. 

He will not always strive with us, 

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, 

nor punished us according to our iniquities. 

For as the heavens are high above the earth, 

so great is His mercy towards those who fear Him; 

As far as the east is from the west, 

so far has He removed our transgressions from us. 

As a father pities His children, 

so the Lord pities those who fear Him. 

(Ps 103:8-13)

Isn't it a wonderful thing that God is merciful?

For some reason I have memorised this passage from psalm 103 and I'm not sure why because I never actually sat down to learn it. Nevertheless, the words of this psalm often return to me and remind me that it is only by God's mercy and His grace, that I may be alive and praising Him. 

If it weren't for His mercy I would still be dead in sin. If it weren't for His mercy I would not be going to church every Sunday to hear anew what He has to say to me. If it weren't for His mercy I would not have the hope of eternal life. If it weren't for His mercy, in sending His son Jesus Christ, I would have no hope come judgement day. 

I thank God that He is merciful. 

In humble, thankful obedience to Him who has rendered me Life, I can sing with the psalmist: 

The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting 

On those who fear him,

 and His righteousness to children's children, 

To such as keep His covenant, 

and to those who remember His commandments to do them. 

(Psalm 103:17-18)

God is unchangeable

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. 

(Hebrews 13:8)

God does not change. People change, their ideas and values change; but God and His promises stand forever. FOREVER. God the Almighty, who was there from before the foundation of this world, and He who will be there throughout all ages to come; He remains the same. 

God made a plan for this earth before He even made it. He determined in this plan who would be among His elect; those whom He would save from their own wilful disobedience. God chose a select number of people, without any condition on their part. He chose them, not because He knew they were better than others, for even Paul said of Himself that he was the chief of sinners. 

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 

(1Timothy 1:15)

God will not change His mind about those whom He has chosen. He is UNCHANGEABLE. 

For us, this means that we can stand firm in the promises of God that He has made known to us through the bible. God will not break His promises, but they will all reach their fulfillment. Because of this we can find comfort in the promises of the covenant (for example that children of believers who die in their infancy will still be saved); we can cling firmly to God's promises of salvation and eternal life. 

Above all, God has promised to send His Son into this world once more, to take all His elect unto Himself. 

This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11)

God has promised that this day will come, so we can rest assured in this promise, eagerly waiting with perseverance for that day to come. For such a great and glorious day that will be!

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. 

(Isaiah 40:8)

God is our Refuge

God is our refuge and strength

A very present help in trouble. 

Therefore I will not fear,

Even though the earth be removed,

And though the mountains be carried off into the midst of the sea;

Though its waters roar and be troubled,

Though the mountains shake with its swelling

.....

God is in her midst, she shall not be moved; 

God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 

.....

The LORD of Hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge.

.....

Be still and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

The LORD of Hosts is with us,

The God of Jacob is our refuge. 

(parts of Psalm 46)

This psalm alone speaks volumes, and I find it a very comforting psalm to read when life's troubles seem too much to bear. When so much is going on in life, and all you want to do is crawl into a hole away from it all; you can crawl into God's arms, knowing that there you will find refuge and strength. 

God is KING

At times it is easy to underestimate the power of God; the fact that He is KING, that He rules supreme and that nothing....NOTHING is comparable to Him. I like to take time and reflect on God's kingly being, to understand what a GREAT KING He is, and that He, in all His almighty majesty and power has chosen someone like me to be one of His children.

He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the KING of Kings and the LORD of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honour and and everlasting power. (1 Timothy 6:15-16)

It is so easy to forget this aspect of God, especially when we are encouraged to come before Him as a friend to pour out our hearts before Him, to speak to Him in the same open manner as we would to our friends. While this is not at all wrong, we have to remember the One who we are talking to, the One to whom we owe our entire lives. He is not an ordinary 'friend'. He is King of the universe. He is KING of Kings in all majesty, greatness and power.

If we were to talk to the queen, or another member of royalty, we would address them in an appropriate manner, showing them due respect and honour.

Think then of God who is King; His likeness in royalty is no where near that of the Queen. God is God; He is THE King, and there is NONE like Him.

So then when it comes down to us, we ought to show the highest respect possible to God. In this regard we must make every effort to concentrate when reading from the bible, to pay attention through the entire church service, to sing with our hearts the psalms and songs that speak of Him. Put away your phone when studying His word, don't be distracted. Our lives cannot be a half hearted worship of Him. He deserves us in entirety; ALL that we are belongs to Him.

God is in control

God is in control, 

We believe that His children will not be forsaken,

God is in control,

We will choose to remember and never be shaken,

There is now power above or beside Him, we know

God is in control, oh God is in control.

History marches on

There is a bottom line drawn across the ages

Culture can make its plan

Oh, but the line never changes

No matter how the deception may fly

There is one thing that has always been true

It will be true forever. 

God is just amazing. I mean this with no disrespect, but when I sing the lyrics of a song such as this, and I understand them for myself, I am just in awe of this God that I can call my Father. 

My last blog post was about God the creator; He created this world in six days. However, there is so much more than God's creating of this world. For after the six days of creation, God rested on the seventh, however He did not withdraw Himself from His creation, but governs and preserves it throughout all ages. God did not leave His creation up to chance, He did not leave man alone to figure out everything for himself. Rather, God is in control. 

Even before He laid the foundations of this world, God had a plan for you and for me. He knew all that we were to do in our lives, right down to the very number of the hairs on our heads.

Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? 

And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. 

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 

Do not fear, for you are of more value than many sparrows. 

(Matthew 10:29-31)

Think about that for a moment. How intricate is God's care for you, He even takes pleasure in knowing something as seemingly insignificant as the number of hairs upon your head. 

In this way you can see how God is in control, He has determined the plan for your life and mine. A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs His steps (Proverbs 16:9). God is in direct control over your life; He is in direct control over this world. 

So then, we have no reason to worry, or to doubt the goodness of God. For He is in control; He will never let you down. 

He has never let you down.

Why start to worry now?

Why start to worry now?

He is still the Lord of all we see

And He is still a loving Father

Watching over you and me.

Watching over you... watching over me...

Watching over everything...

Watching over you... watching over me...

Every little sparrow... every little thing...

God...the Creator

There are times when life is so busy that you miss the beauty of everything that God has created. I think because of this we miss experiencing a part of who God is. When the busyness of life carries us past the blooming wildflowers in the spring, or the dew glistening in the sun as it drips from an evergreen; when we miss these things, we can easily pass by the greatness of the Lord in His care in making and preserving creation.
God created this world in six days. Six Days! Not six millions of years, or six extended periods of time, but six days! God the Almighty spoke and it was there. He said: Let there be light and there was light; He said: Let the dry land appear and it was so. Isn't that just amazing. It shows what a powerful God we have.

Then, knowing that God created everything, we can see the beauty of it all in creation. When we walk through a forest and see the massive thickly trunked trees, we can admire their strength and power, and their majestic height as they overlook the groud around them. When we see new shoots springing up in the garden, we can admire God's handiwork, His care over even a little seed as it grows into a young plant.

When you think about these things, you should be awed at the greatness of God as Creator. He created this world. Think about everything in this world: all the vast varieties of nature which have been given for us to enjoy. God said to Adam in the garden of Eden: Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth (Gen 1:28).

God has given all that He created to us to appreciate and cultivate. When you understand the love of God even in creating this world, it just leaves you spell bound. If He has taken so much care in clothing the flowers in the field, how much more will He care for those who are His children?

God is .... forever

Your throne, O God, stands forever and ever... (Psalm 45:6)

Last night, while reading from a prayer book before tucking my little brother into bed, we began to discuss what it means that God is forever; that He is eternal. The end of the Lord's Prayer states: For Your's is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. But what does this forever really mean? The mind of an eight year old could not comprehend how God could have just been there forever, and that He will be there forever. Often we too neglect to understand what it means for us that God is eternal. 

As human beings we all have a beginning and will have an end when we die, however, God is not human, He is God, and God is eternal. God was there in the beginning. Genesis 1 begins: In the beginning, God.... God was there in the beginning; before anything was made He was there. He was not created; for if He were than there must be a higher being than Him, but there is not. God was there in the beginning when nothing else was. 

Our human minds fail to comprehend this. How can He just be there? How can it be, everything must have a beginning? But not God. He is from eternity and He will be there for eternity. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last (Revelations 22:13). 

And isn't that such a great comfort to us?

We can know and rest assured that God is always there, and He always will be there. We do not have to worry that He will leave this world up to chance; we do not have to worry that our prayers will enter into an empty abyss; for God is there. He is present with you and in you, and He will not leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). 

What an amazing God we have!

Our God is an awesome God

Our God is an awesome God,

He reigns, 

from heaven above,

with wisdom,

and power,

and love, 

Our God is an awesome God. 

These words come from a scriptural song well known to my family, and it strikes me every time we sing it, exactly how great and awesome God we have. 

Walking through nature, experiencing the hand of God in creating the intricacies of plant and animal life, I just marvel and the wonders of God. And when I see how much He cares for His creation, I can only think how blessed I am to be able to call Him 'Abba, Father'. 

It is my wish to spend this month singling out the many attributes of God, that I may know them, and so grow to know Him all the more. 

So often we just say the words, our God is great... He is wondrous.... He sent His Son to die for my sins... etc, however how often is it that these words sink in. Like...really sink in. How often is it that you are just spell bound by the awesomeness of God that you just have to stop for a moment as your mind tries to comprehend it? Well, I know for myself, there are times when I am in awe of God, and my heart sings praise to Him, but these times are too few are far between. 

It's for this reason, that for this month, I will spend each day discovering another part of the character of our Awesome God!